Costumes, Makeup, & Props

How do I get my costume?

Your costume on stage will be worked out in advance by the Director and the costumes team. Depending on your exact role(s), you may have one or more costumes made for you, or you may just be asked to wear street clothes.

At some point during one of the weekend rehearsals, you must go to the dressing room and talk to the Costumes Manager, who will tell you what you need and what we have for you. If you don’t, your costume may not be ready in time!

If you are in the opening or closing number, you may wear one of your costumes from the show, or you may wear street clothes with a FASS T-shirt. Don’t wear a costume that has a major spoiler in the opening number. If you are unsure about whether your costume is a spoiler, check with the Director.

What if I need to bring my own costume?

If you need to bring (part of) your own costume, there are two important things to remember: first, you must wear indoor shoes. Outdoor shoes are not permitted in the backstage area or on the stage. Second, your entire costume, including shoes and accessories, must remain in the theatre from tech weekend until the end of the show.

You must also check your completed costume with the Costumes Manager on tech weekend, if not sooner.

When do I put my costume on?

Normally, you put your first costume on right after you arrive and check in for the show. You should normally do this before applying makeup, to avoid smearing it when you put your costume on. If you have a costume change during the show, you can change at any point between your two appearances on stage, the earlier the better. There will be others in the dressing room to help you, if needed.

If you have less than a full scene between two different costumes, you will probably not have enough time to go back to the dressing room to change. In this case, you will need to perform a costume change backstage. On tech weekend, talk to the backstage crew for help ensuring that your costume is where you needed it to be, and for any assistance changing, if you need it.

What sort of makeup do I need to wear?

At the very minimum, you will need to wear foundation and eyeliner. The stage lights are very bright, and you will need makeup for the audience to be able to make out your facial expressions. Lipstick and blush are also a very good idea.

Some roles may require specialized makeup. If this applies to you, you will be instructed to visit the makeup room during tech weekend to work it out.

Do I need to bring my own makeup?

Yes. You will need your own eyeliner and, ideally, your own lipstick. This is for sanitary reasons to avoid spreading diseases. Other makeup will be provided.

If you have other makeup, feel free to bring it with you. In general, if you are trying to look natural on stage, you will want to be wearing makeup about two shades darker than your natural tone.

How do I apply makeup?

If you have never applied makeup before, there will be experienced FASSies around you who can help or, if you are particularly squeamish, who can apply your eyeliner for you.

How do I get my props?

A prop is anything you will be holding in your hands onstage. During rehearsals, you will not have props ready for you; they will be built on the build days along with the set. If you have a particular idea of how you would like your prop to look, you should come to a build day and build it!

At some point during tech weekend, or possibly one of the weekend rehearsals, you must go to the tech shop and talk to the Prop Manager, who will discuss your props with you. If you don’t, you may not have your props when you expect them!

How do I use a prop?

During the show, all the props will be kept by the Props Manager in a cupboard. The only exception is if you have a small prop that only you use; in that case, you may be allowed to keep it as part of your costume.

You are responsible for ensuring that someone gets your prop from the Props Manager, and that someone gets it back to them after you’re done with it. If you need your prop to be placed on stage at the start of the scene, or if it will be left on stage at the end of the scene, you must talk to the grips backstage during tech weekend to make sure that they know they need to set or remove it.